Harold lives with his invalid mother and feels trapped by her. After getting drunk for the first time ever he awakes in the morning to find his mother strangled. He is an immediate suspect, but he knows he is innocent. But, as the suspicion shifts to others, he becomes less certain. He confesses to a call girl he patronizes and trusts. She convinces him the killer is someone else by pointing out a detail he had not previously considered. After lulling him into a false sense of relief, she betrays him to the police. He spends a night in jail and in the morning the crime is solved with a surprise denouement.

The saga of a law firm and its tribulations spanning three decades - the 80's, 90's and present day seen through the eyes of its leading Welsh partner Evan Williams. Charismatic and irresistible to women, it is not long before he causes hearts to flutter among the women clients of his matrimonial practice. From his beginnings as a fledgling lawyer to his maturity and elevation to the judiciary, Evan is never averse to mixing business with pleasure and in doing so often courts disaster. The novel is fleshed out with portraits of the many colorful characters Evan encounters on his long odyssey and contains fascinating insights into the inner workings of the law over a turbulent, unsettled period in its recent history.

Ivan Schmidt, a disbarred attorney, has his real estate license revoked - still, he convinces a group of fellow real estate exchangers to open their meetings to non-licensed owners. Each member of the group has his own agenda for agreeing with Ivan, though some are motivated by a fear of what Ivan might do if they donÕt go along.

Soon, Ivan convinces a drug lord that he can solve his problems of getting drugs across the border while getting cash out of the country. Ivan points out the process requires two steps - first, buying out-of-state real estate owned by senior citizens, newly settled in the Southwest; second, trading that real estate for property out of the country.

To help with his scheme, Ivan hires Elmira Dunbar to set up and run the real estate marketing sessions that will attract senior citizens, along with regular real estate exchangers. The latter being a rogue's gallery of "characters," with ethical standards ranging from noble to none - many of whom have a unique way of operating.

Sprinkled throughout the story is a realistic portrayal of the way people think and operate the way they do. Occasionally, a bit of humor falls in place; but in the end it's the reality that each person is responsible for deeds he has done, either vindicating or condemning himself.

Also addressed is the United States' policy toward drugs, medical care and the plight of illegal migrants.

Overall, the purpose of the book is to entertain, while at the same time provoke readers to think about what might happen if we allow greed to grow and fester unfettered...

Meet Harry Adkins, a self-declared "cockeyed optimist." Adkins believes he can beat any odds. Overweight, heavy drinking, a philandering international businessman in his forties with a long suffering wife when the story opens, he might have come to the end of that road of optimism. Friend and physician, Dr. Alex Quick-Campbell, offers an escape route. He signs up for the Healthy Hearts Live Longer study. Following a year of training and monitoring, H2 L2 predicts the precise day of the patient's death.

A threat lurks in the background. Convicted murderer, Johnnie Allegro, has vowed to avenge his death penalty sentence by going after Adkins, the jury foreman.

On the day a slimmer and healthier Adkins receives the predicted date of his death, Adkins decides to finish cleaning up his life. He sends a fax to Naomi, his Japanese business partner: their long-standing affair is over.

Flash forward ten years. Today is the predicted day of Adkins' death. He has misremembered the day by one, however, and wakes up feeling victorious, his cockeyed optimism vindicated. He's alive! Healthy! Rich! Life is good! But Allegro has escaped from jail.

There's a surprise in store. It's well worth the anticipation. There's a full meal of life in this witty novel. In the end, we root for cockeyed optimism to prevail: we want to wish Adkins a long and happy life.

Scott Driscoll, M.F.A., award winning Seattle Freelance writer

A Novel about Veteran and Non Profit Clubs and the people who volunteer as Officers to manage the day to day activities. The inner workings and actions of the Moose, Eagles, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Knights of Columbus are considered. Details are evolved as the feelings, work and endeavors of several volunteers progress through the chairs of our clubs along with romances and sex at the bar. For every good deed there are evil individuals who succeed in placing a volunteer in jail. These evil men are aided by law enforcement and state officials who will not allow a lie detector test proving innocence. The City or County Government continue to tax the clubs and impose restrictions which will ultimately bankrupt them. Evil deeds are helped by inept Attorneys, Judges and fellow members who do the work of the evil ones. They do not do their own work.

There was always a difference in Marshall, Texas; there were whites, and there were blacks. Slavery had a big role in the city's early years, and while blacks were emancipated after the Civil War, they were not welcomed into white society. In fact, some of the privileges they had as slaves were taken away.

Marshall was more greatly affected by Reconstruction than it was by the Civil War. Texas became home to a repressive "carpetbagger" state government which the city had to deal with at the same time it was having to transition from an agricultural economy to industrial. Much hate was generated by these carpetbaggers (so named because they brought most of their possessions in a bag made of carpet), hate which seemed to focus on black people and never seemed to subside. Home-burnings and hangings were common events in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

It was this attitude that prevailed through the Great Depression and World War II. The author relates his family life and his friendship with a black boy who lived nearby, beginning with the war years and continuing through their school days.

Fate calls the boys in different directions, one to government and academics, the other to journalism. But their friendship hangs on through the years as they witness and even participate in some of the nation's most incredible history.

Here is a novel that will keep the reader spellbound, as you travel along with Francois Leblanc, a little boy of 12 years of age convicted of a crime of killing his parents (that he did not commit) and then sent to a federal penitentiary for 15 years, the first in Canadian history. The reader can’t but help feel for this little boy whose only crime was in trying to save his mother. His pain and suffering, which very few humans could endure, especially at such a young age of 12, was not something that was going to defeat Francois, for he lived off of it, as if it was food.

He feared no one. No guard could defeat him by beatings or by isolation nor could the best convict take him on. His reputation grew as time went on. Convicts decided to change his name to Little Tarzan when he did 42 days in the hole back to back on bread and water. Then when he took a guard’s eye out and another 25 years was added on to his sentence, they called him just Tarzan.

Locked up in a segregated wing of the prison called China Town, he spent years in his cell trying to discover himself. Then he met The Professor who sent him on a journey to reach beyond the stars. And he did just that! Six feet 3inches, 275 pounds of muscle he was a walking miracle. They said that just by sheer force alone he could tear open his cell door and no one could stop him. He was becoming one of the strongest men within the walls of the prison that even guards nodded their heads to him in respect at his strength.

Yet his violence and hate that he had lived with for so long now turned to humility and muscle. Then the day came when he would show, not just the prison, but also the whole world, just how strong he was.

---

When law librarian Tom Jones is tapped by Dean Oberal to write the history for the one-hundred-year anniversary celebration of Essex Law School, he takes his assignment seriously. He soon discovers that the task will involve many challenges and will reveal even more surprises.

Such is the case when Tom interviews Mary McCarthy, who served as the secretary to the school’s founder, Dean Seth Adams. Mary is a legend at the school, and she says that the history Tom is writing won’t reflect half of what she really knows. Mary reveals some interesting information about her relationship with Adams.

Tom also calls on Caleb Cushing, the school’s oldest alumnus, who believes he graduated in either 1910 or 1911. Cushing not only has flavorful stories to tell about his law career, but is also a colorful character in his own right.

As Tom pulls together the pieces from the school’s one hundred years, he learns some tidbits that might not be fit to print. For Tom, this project provides an eye-opening glimpse into the legal world of academia with a sidelight into its interesting social aspects.

When law librarian Tom Jones is tapped by Dean Oberal to write the history for the one-hundred-year anniversary celebration of Essex Law School, he takes his assignment seriously. He soon discovers that the task will involve many challenges and will reveal even more surprises.

Such is the case when Tom interviews Mary McCarthy, who served as the secretary to the school’s founder, Dean Seth Adams. Mary is a legend at the school, and she says that the history Tom is writing won’t reflect half of what she really knows. Mary reveals some interesting information about her relationship with Adams.

Tom also calls on Caleb Cushing, the school’s oldest alumnus, who believes he graduated in either 1910 or 1911. Cushing not only has flavorful stories to tell about his law career, but is also a colorful character in his own right.

As Tom pulls together the pieces from the school’s one hundred years, he learns some tidbits that might not be fit to print. For Tom, this project provides an eye-opening glimpse into the legal world of academia with a sidelight into its interesting social aspects.

‘How to be a Super Bitch Lawyer’ is a dark, farcical tale concerning lawyers at the antiquated firm of Meade, Pullen and Co who are secretly yearning for promotion to partnership level but each has a very different idea as to how this may be achieved.

Felicity Garrett attempts to follow the obvious route to partnership by working hard and making a great deal of money for the firm regardless of whom she tramples upon in her quest; meek and lovely Sarah has to spend many a night out with the firm’s clients, thus leaving her boyfriend free to embark on an affair with her beautiful sister; and John will do anything to gain partnership to avoid the wrath of his testosterone-fuelled wife.

Meanwhile, Roger, the senior partner, aware that the firm is in a chaotic financial position, has to forge a secret deal with the firm’s benefactor to keep the firm afloat. Also amidst this dilemma, Roger has to deal with a tight-fisted managing partner, an obscure employment department and a six-fingered practice manager.

And who is the real Super Bitch?

The story begins with the murder of a United States Congressman, late at night, in a New York City subway. The seemingly hopeless defense of a drug user black musician is assigned to a high-powered, mainly corporate, law firm. Preliminary investigation lead a brooding, uneasy law firm partner, Jonathan Wright, born into Boston's social and cultural elite, to a 15-year-old street wise boy called T.K. and his older companion, a subway pickpocket referred to by his colleagues as Underground Arthur. Their information leads trial lawyer Wright, through a series of odd but connected events with three other deaths along the way --- first, to a college educated six foot eight pimp named Longjoker who specializes in runaway children. Soft spoken yet menacing, with close organized crime connections, his apartment is decorated like an underground cave. The pimp is further connected to a contract killer named The Sandman who becomes a central figure in the book. Wright is then led to a New York City apartment suite sex club for adults. Here a teenage girl named Sylvia works, who is connected to T.K., as well as to another teenager named Amanda whose death may be connected to the subway murder and a second one as well. A surprising revelation comes to Wright's attention in Washington, through a promiscuous young female assistant to a U.S. Congressman. This leads to the climax of the novel, which takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil through a direct confrontation between Jonathan Wright and The Sandman. The shocking resolution to everything that has transpired leaves the lawyer a fully changed man.

A young girl in Sardinia, Simona overhears adults discussing the game of fortune telling and tries it on her friends. She discovers she has the gift of seeing the truth others do not notice. Her gift pulls others to her, including the young and beautiful Sergio. Everything abruptly changes when Sergio is killed. Under a cloak of sadness, Simona's esoteric courage and help delivered through a cast of characters carry her through a journey of seeming success. Yet she secretly harbors desires that keep joy just beyond her reach. When Judge Simona is challenged by a trial over custody of a baby girl, the Court and Simona's home start to mingle, and her alienation and longing reveal themselves. Empowered by a strong verdict, Simona cuts away from her life in Milan and retreats to Sardinia to a passage into the self. Told in terse, at times graphic prose, "Judge Simona" is a confession and appeal to her intimate reader.